Apparatus and method of partially transferring data through bus and bus master control device

1. A method of transferring data through a bus, comprising the steps of: continuously occupying the bus by a first device serving as a bus master, said first device continuously occupying the bus for a predetermined period of time; transferring a first predetermined number of data items of all data items to be transferred while the first device is occupying the bus, the first predetermined number of data items transferring without interruption based on said predetermined period time; determining if the first predetermined number of data items have transferred; determining if the first device should release the bus based on whether or not there is a request from a second device after it is determined that the first predetermined number of data items have been transferred; and releasing the bus by the first device when it is determined that the first device should release the bus.

2. A method of transferring data through a bus according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: occupying the bus by the second device serving as the bus master after the first device releases the bus; releasing the bus by the second device after the second device completes access to the bus; occupying the bus again by the first device after the second device releases the bus; and transferring a second predetermined number of data items subsequent to the first predetermined number of the data items which have been transferred while the first device is occupying the bus again.

3. A method of transferring data through a bus according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, when it is determined that the first device should not release the bus, transferring by the first device a second predetermined number of data items subsequent to the first predetermined number of the data items which have been transferred while the first device continues to occupy the bus.

4. A method of transferring data through a bus according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: determining if all the data items to be transferred have been transferred; and releasing the bus after it is determined that all the data items to be transferred have been transferred.

5. A method of transferring data through a bus according to claim 1, wherein: the first device is a DMA controller; and the second device is a CPU.

6. A master control device for controlling an operation of a bus master for transferring data through a bus, the device comprising: bus occupation request means for outputting a signal requesting to occupy the bus in response to a data transfer request; data a transfer means for transfer ring a first predetermined number of data items of all data items to be transferred while the bus master is continuously occupying the bus for a predetermined period of time, said data transfer means configured to transfer said first predetermined number of data items of all data items to be transferred without interruption based on said predetermined period of time; first determination means for determining if the first predetermined number of data items have been transferred; bus release instruction means for outputting a signal instructing said bus master to release the bus based on whether or not there is a request from a first device after it is determined that the first predetermined number of data items have been transferred; and bus release means for releasing the bus by the bus master when said bus master release instruction means outputs said signal instructing said bus master to release the bus.

7. A bus master control device according to claim 6, wherein: the bus occupation request means outputs again the signal requesting to occupy the bus after the bus release instruction means outputs the signal instructing to release the bus; and the data transfer means transfers a second predetermined number of data items subsequent to the first predetermined number of the data items which have been transferred while the bus master is occupying the bus again.

8. A bus master control device according to claim 6, wherein the bus release instruction means outputs the signal instructing to release the bus after all the data items to be transferred have been transferred.

9. A bus master control device according to claim 6, wherein: the data transfer means comprises a first counter for counting a number of data items which have been transferred out of the first predetermined number of data items, and the first determination means determines if the first predetermined number of data items have been transferred based on an output from the first counter.

10. A bus master control device according to claim 9, the data transfer means comprising: a second counter for counting a number of data items which have been transferred out of all the data items to be transferred; and second determination means for determining if all the data items to be transferred have been transferred based on an output from the second counter.